SEOUL, Aug. 6 (Korea Bizwire) — In a bold fusion of diplomacy and pop culture, South Korea’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has drawn attention online by promoting an upcoming global food security summit with a viral video inspired by a hit Netflix animation.
The ministry’s spokesperson, Jeon Han-young, dressed as “Abby,” a lion boy-band member from the Netflix series K-pop Demon Hunters, danced through a “Soda Pop Challenge” video uploaded on August 5 to the ministry’s official YouTube channel.
The video, part of a campaign to publicize the APEC Food Security Ministers’ Meeting scheduled for August 9–10 in Incheon, had nearly 8,400 views as of Wednesday morning.
The APEC meeting will gather representatives from all 21 member economies to discuss food security and innovation in agri-food systems across the Asia-Pacific region. A ministry official said the decision to leverage a globally popular K-pop-themed animation was intended to combine “global appeal,” “trendiness,” and “broad public engagement.”
A parody video promoting Korean wild vegetables using BLACKPINK’s “Ddu-Du Ddu-Du” and a dancing crocodile meme garnered buzz across online communities.
This is not the first time the ministry has gone viral for its unconventional social media strategy. Spokesperson Jeon and Agriculture Minister Song Mi-ryeong have previously starred in a range of videos designed to demystify agricultural policy and engage younger audiences.
During the wave of popularity for Netflix’s Black-and-White Chef, Jeon portrayed a judge critiquing Minister Song’s cooking. In another video, the two made kimchi together, and in yet another, they toured rural village resorts.
Left: Song Mi-ryeong, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs; Right: Jeon Han-young, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (Image source: Screenshot from the Ministry’s official YouTube channel)
Humorous and culturally savvy content has become a hallmark of the ministry’s outreach. A parody video promoting Korean wild vegetables using BLACKPINK’s “Ddu-Du Ddu-Du” and a dancing crocodile meme garnered buzz across online communities.
The digital push began in earnest in mid-2023, during a period of food price instability. The ministry opted for direct communication via social platforms to deliver timely information, with Minister Song herself becoming the face of this effort.
The results have been notable: the ministry’s YouTube channel now leads all 19 central government ministries in subscribers, surpassing 258,000, while its Instagram following has reached over 114,000.
The campaign earned top honors in the government agency category at the Social i-Awards 2025, hosted by the Korea Internet Professionals Association. The ministry was also recognized as an “Outstanding” agency for policy communication for the second consecutive year.
A ministry spokesperson said, “We aim to deliver core policy messages in a fun and accessible way that helps the public better understand agriculture and rural development.”
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
